# Sri Lanka eases refugee return, adds intelligence check 2026-08-12T18:12:02+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Sri Lanka's cabinet decided on August 10 to let refugees who fled during the civil war return even if they left without a valid passport or through an unauthorised port. However, returnees must now obtain a security clearance from the State Intelligence Service (SIS), a condition that activists call regressive. The decision follows the May 2025 arrest of a 75-year-old refugee returning from India, which caused a furore and led the UNHCR to pause its repatriation work. Around 80,000 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees live in Tamil Nadu, many born in India. Minister Bimal Rathnayake said Sri Lanka is ready to receive them and urged Indian leaders not to use refugees for political propaganda. Refugee groups like OfERR warn that SIS vetting, an agency accused of wartime abuses, could deter returns and treat all returnees as suspects. ## Coverage - thehindu.com - thefederal.com Tags: civil war aftermath, immigration policy, repatriation, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, Tamil Nadu Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sri-lanka-eases-entry-rules-for-refugees-returning-from-india/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sri-lanka-eases-entry-rules-for-refugees-returning-from-india/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.